


Weary Tune

by dizzy



Category: Lord of the Rings RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-08-29
Updated: 2003-08-29
Packaged: 2018-03-04 15:44:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3073364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dizzy/pseuds/dizzy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>"Lay Down Your Weary Tune Again" by Steve Forbert.</p>
    </blockquote>





	Weary Tune

**Author's Note:**

> "Lay Down Your Weary Tune Again" by Steve Forbert.

_Lay down your weary tune again_  
And rest your head on me  
Your phone call says your sorry  
And the grapevine says you're free  
"Billy. He needs you."

"Billy. He needs you."

That was all it took. That was all it had ever taken.

He flew to America on the next available flight out. He wasn't sure quite how he was going to explain his appearance to everyone - except Sean, willing conspirator that he was - but it wasn't really on his mind all that much, either.

Dom was on his mind.

_He needs you._

That was all it took.

\---

It was almost two in the morning when he got there. No one knew he was coming, so there was no one there to greet him. He didn't mind. He was tired, he was hungry, and he wasn't in the mood to make small talk with old friends. He wanted a hotel room, a bed, and a chance to recover the hours of sleep lost making arrangements and packing.

It only took about four hours of tossing and turning before he gave up the effort of a dreamless sleep. After a scalding shower and three spoon-bending cups of coffee, he called a cab. He wasn't sure where Dom was staying, but he had a good idea.

\---

Elijah answered the door after Billy's second knock. Shirtless, pajama bottoms hanging off of one hip, barefoot. He yawned but didn't look too surprised. Billy imagined that Sean had been at work, again. Best to give the lad some warning, at least.

"You here to see..." Elijah shrugged, Billy assumed in the general direction of the bedroom.

"Yeah."

Billy didn't say much to Elijah, because he didn't have much to say at all, to anyone. He didn't have to wonder why Elijah was so uncharacteristically quiet.

"Which bedroom?" Billy's voice had a bit of an edge to it, enough to make Elijah wince, just a bit.

"Guest room. Second door on the right." He said, and walked into the kitchen.

Billy found Dom sprawled out face down, fully dressed, on the bed asleep. He gave serious thought to just turning around and walking out, but that wasn't what he had come here for. He sat down on the bed, and gave Dom a little shove. He grunted, but didn't wake completely until Billy shook his shoulder.

Dom opened one eye and then the other. He squinted, mumbled something under his breath, and rolled over. "What the bloody fuck are you doing here?" He said, not angry - just surprised.

"Saving your sorry arse." Billy grinned.

"Saving me?" Dom groaned. "You sound like Astin. I don't need saving."

"Not what he says."

"I should have known." They both laughed - a little strained, a little forced, but it was something.

Dom closed his eyes. "Why'd you really come, Bill?"

"I miss you. I worry about you."

It was as close to the truth as Billy was willing to venture.

"You're not allowed to miss me." Dom said, eyes still shut. Billy still looked away. He didn't say anything. "If I need saving, it's your fault. And you're not allowed to miss me."

"If you say so."

Dom sighed. "You shouldn't have come."

"Elijah has already saved you, then? You didn't tell me you were living with him." Billy tried to keep the accusation out of his voice.

"But you knew anyway. Sean tell you?"

"No."

"Oh."

"Dom-"

"Look, Bill, it's nice of you to come and all, nice of you to bother with the line about missing and worrying, but why are you really here?"

Billy looked at the ground. "I needed to see for myself."

"See what for yourself?"

"That you're here... that you've really... moved on."

Dom laughed again, short and sharp and bitter. "Moved on? Bloody hell, Bill, does it look like I've moved on? Lighe and I aren't together, y'idiot. We fuck. But that's all. And you're wrong, you're wrong about when it started. I didn't move here until after we ended. Ask Sean - he'll tell you."

"Whatever you say, Dommie." He sounded resentful and felt just a little bit guilty for it. Sean had already told him that Dom and Elijah weren't anything - not anything serious, they weren't _together_.

He stood up up, ready to leave before he said something that he would truly regret.

"Don't go." Dom said, quickly. "I'm sorry... I guess... I haven't been doing so well. I'm not working and I don't... I've been spending a lot of quality time with the telly, I... I miss you. I keep thinking - if I'd just stayed... if I hadn't come to America. Would we have worked?"

"I don't know, Dom. There's no way to tell." Billy was still standing, but facing Dom, who was sitting up on the bed.

"Why'd you come?" Dom asked, for a third time.

"Because I need to know that you're okay."

"What about you? Are you okay?"

"This isn't about me."

"I want it to be about you. And me. Us."

Billy let the slightest hint of a smile escape. "That's why I came here, Dom. Us."

Dom let some vestige of hope appear on his face, unguarded. "Us?"

"I miss you. I miss what we were together."

"Me, too." Dom reached out, touching Billy's hand, letting his fingers brush against Billy's palm.

"Elijah?" Billy asked, knowing that Dom would say what he needed to hear.

"Isn't important, not in that way. Elijah and me - we could never have what you and I had. It just wouldn't work like that. You have nothing to worry about."

Billy nodded, slowly. "All right." He would still worry, always had and always would, but it made things easier if Dom was willing to talk about it rationally and not be defensive. A dozen long distance arguements flooded his memory - the shouting and the cursing and the pure anger of the moments.

"What do you want to do?" Dom asked.

"Get out of here."

"Okay." Dom stood up, tugging the wrinkles out of his t-shirt. "Let's go. What time is it? Let's have breakfast. I'll come back later and pack."

"Dom." Billy said, unmoving, as Dom headed for the door. "Just like that?"

"Yeah, Bill." Dom grinned. "Just like that. Lighe'll understand. He knows how I feel."

Billy let himself take a step or two forward. "All right. Let's go."


End file.
